What does the killing of the albatross represent?

What does the killing of the albatross represent?

The living albatross is a symbol of God's creation and of innocence. The dead albatross is a symbol of sin. When the Mariner kills the albatross, the other sailors see this as a sign of bad luck and fear, rightfully, that their dangerous voyage will be cursed and run into trouble.

What Is The Rime of the Ancient Mariner about short summary?

Samuel Taylor Coleridge's “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is about a man on a voyage by ship, who in one impulsive and heinous act, changes the course of his life – and death. The Mariner faces an inner struggle over the crime he has committed, and must understand his actions and perform his penance.

What side of nature does the albatross represent?

Finally, out of nowhere, comes the Albatross. It represents the benign spirit of nature and this makes its killing even more absurd. For no reasons at all, the ancient mariner shoots it with his cross-bow.

How is the killing of the albatross being avenged?

Nature avenges the arbitrary death of the albatross by causing all the wind to cease so that the forward motion of the ship is stopped and all of the men became completely dehydrated in the devastating sun. ... When the men are on the verge of death, Life-In-Death appears and all of the men drop dead.

Why does the albatross then fall from his neck?

In the poem, an albatross follows a ship setting out to sea, which is considered a sign of good luck. ... Unable to speak due to lack of water, the ship's crew let the mariner know through their glances that they blame him for their plight and they tie the bird around his neck as a sign of his guilt.

What might the albatross have symbolized?

Historically, albatross were seen by sailors as omens of good luck, and initially the albatross symbolizes this to the sailors when it appears just as a wind picks up to move the ship. ... The dead albatross, also, can be read more generally as a mark of sin.

What is the moral of the story The Rime of the Ancient Mariner?

The moral of his ballad is to appreciate all forms of life. To develop this theme, Coleridge utilizes imagery and symbolism to create an implicit partnership between Life-in-Death and the Moon. The purpose of their partnership is simple; they both serve to punish the Mariner for his crime.

Why must the Mariner tell his story?

The Ancient Mariner is compelled to tell his story. Telling his tale is part of his penance for killing the albatross. If you're asking why he chooses the wedding guest and not someone else, the answer is that the wedding guest had something wrong with him that hearing the tale would fix.

What was the Mariner punishment for killing the albatross?

What is the Mariner's punishment from killing the Albatross? The Mariner's punishment is to wear the Albatross around his neck. This is just because it shows that he is physically taking responsibility for his actions.

What happened after the albatross was killed?

They decided that the albatross had brought the fog and mist. When the fog lifted after the bird was killed, they congratulated the mariner. What happened to the ship after the fog lifted? The ship was blown into a silent sea where they were stranded when the wind died.

Why did the Ancient Mariner kill the Albatross?

• The poem follows the Ancient Mariner as he travels at sea. In an act of selfishness and/or immorality, he kills an Albatross. Once this has happened, his crew and ship experience bad luck in which all the crewmembers die.

What does the Albatross symbolize in the Odyssey?

• Since the Albatross materializes out of the fog in a land where it seems nothing should be able to live, it is seen as both natural and supernatural, and an embodiment of the sublime. For the Sailors, it is a token of good luck and a means of connection with God and the natural world.

Why did the Mariner kill the Sea Bird?

• The Mariner says that he killed the sea bird with his crossbow. In the beginning, the other sailors were furious for killing the Albatross that made the ship get out of trouble. But when the fog was lifted, the sailors realized that the bird had actually brought the fog and not the breezes.